Collecting, Painting, and playing games with transforming toys such as Transformers , Gobots , Machine Men, etc

Monday, July 7, 2014

Steamhammer Painting part 1

I recieved Steamhammer the Decepticon Transformer with the Constructicon Drones today! And my paints, so I can start painting them up :)

This pic above is the finished product of today's work - the Front End Loader Drone, one of the Constructicon Drones. Basically, Steamhammer is a Drone Commander (Power Core Combiner range of Transformers). He can transform into a bulldozer or his robot form, or into a special Powered Up mode, where the four drones can connect to him as limb extensions to turn him into a giant powerful robot form.

Here is Steamhammer unpainted in robot form, with some civilians and MR-15 Rest-Q the Gobot.

Here are the unpainted Constructicon Drones. They're a bit plasticy and an assortment of colours.

Here's Steamhammer the Decepticon in his giant bulldozer form. He is SOOO green.

Here he is powered up in the Power Suit mode with the Drones plugged in to form giant arms and legs. The colours might not bother some people, but I like toys and miniatures and things to look more realistic, so I'll be painting up all Steamhammer and his drones into a unified paint scheme. The Optimus Prime pictured here is a Deluxe Scale model, while Steamhammer and the drones are probably Scout Class in size.

Here he is with some Transformers to show scale with other vehicles.

Step one: Working on the Front End Loader drone which forms one of his arms in Power Suit mode. I undercoat the whole thing in yellow while opened up in arm mode, so that I can paint the interior bits of it as well.

Then I did a light coat of grey over some parts of the model.

Here it is pulled off and back in drone vehicle mode. I took this photo to show the difference between a painted model vs an unpainted model - you can see all the molded details as light reflects off the model, but in the photo after it...

... you can see the difference when a wash is applied - suddenly all the engraved bits and embossed bits and shapes and everything are outlined and stand out really well. This is one of the main reasons I paint things, to bring out the details.

In this photo, look above the cockpit section (above the windows) and you'll see the parts of the model facing upwards are kind of glowing in bright yellow. This is highlighting - after the wash dries, every part of the model which faces upwards is painted in a brighter shade of paint, to make it look like light is shining down on it from above. This really enhances the 3D look of the model

Here I've done a whole lot more bright yellow highlighting, and the model shape is really coming together nicely now.

I'm also working on it when opened up in Power Suit arm mode, to make sure the interior has details. Adding more black washes to the conveyer belt, and highlighting raised surfaces of gray areas, and adding some brown/dirtiness to the scoops, etc.

And the following photos are final views of the vehicle mode of the drone, once all highlighting and shading is done, and with gloss 'Ardcoat applied to the windows of the cockpit.

And here it is attached to the Power Suit Mode as the arm, as part of Steamhammer's powered up mode. Hopefully you can get an idea of how it might look when the body, other arm, and both legs, are painted up. I think the yellows and greys will look nice when it all comes together.